Congo’s former president faces trial for supporting rebel invaders
Former Congo President Joseph Kabila (Photo: umuseke.rw)
The government of Congo will file a lawsuit against the country’s former president, Joseph Kabila, over alleged ties to the M23 rebel movement, which has seized control of the mineral-rich eastern part of the country, according to Bloomberg.
The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is initiating legal proceedings against Kabila for allegedly supporting the March 23 Movement (M23) rebels.
On Friday, April 18, the former president entered the rebel-held city of Goma from neighboring Rwanda, angering the government of current president Félix Tshisekedi.
On Saturday, Congo’s Ministry of Justice announced it would file a lawsuit against Kabila, while the Ministry of the Interior suspended the activities of his political party.
Interior Minister Jacquemain Shabani condemned Kabila’s deliberate choice to return to the country through the city of Goma under the control of the enemy, which curiously assured his security.
Previously, President Tshisekedi had accused Kabila of supporting the rebels and preparing an uprising. The DRC’s Ministry of Justice stated it would seize the former president’s assets in the country and has imposed travel restrictions on his unnamed associates.
Threat of a new war in Africa
The March 23 Movement, often abbreviated as M23, is a rebel group operating in the eastern regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), specifically in North Kivu province.
Since 2012, the group has been engaged in armed conflict with government forces, which has led to the displacement of a large number of people.
In March 2022, the Congolese government accused Rwanda’s armed forces of supporting the M23 rebels, who remain in active military confrontation with the Congolese government.
In July 2023, Rwandan troops crossed the border and attacked Congolese border forces.
According to the UN, Rwandan forces later participated in combat operations alongside the rebels in eastern Congo and also supplied them with weapons.
In January 2025, M23 rebels, with Rwandan support, seized the city of Goma. Since then, the militants have continued expanding their territory in eastern Congo, prompting international condemnation and sanctions.
Rwanda denies supporting the rebels.
